Language And Culture: Veritable Tools For National Development

Abstract

The use of language depends on the level of effectiveness and efficiency with which it is developed and utilised to determine the development of any individual or society. Every society strives to use its language to preserve its culture, shape its thought and worldviews. The paper aims at identifying how Yoruba oral tradition can be deployed to reflect our cultural heritage, shape our thoughts and conceptual beliefs. Ten Yoruba proverbs and five songs were collected and analysed. Twenty elders from various communities in Oka-Akoko kingdom of Ondo State who are custodians of Yoruba culture were randomly sampled and interviewed. Findings revealed that indigenous language users are influenced by cultural values that help to change their moral reorientation and reduce the menace of social vices in our society and foster national development. The paper concludes that language and culture are veritable tools for national development, especially because of their effectiveness in shaping the speaker's moral values and thus, promoting societal traditional values.